


Gods, Monsters, and a Girl Wielding a Scythe

by Lord_Byron_Mudkippington



Category: RWBY
Genre: Action/Adventure, F/F, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Tauradonna
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-06
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-17 07:26:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 20,944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28596180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lord_Byron_Mudkippington/pseuds/Lord_Byron_Mudkippington
Summary: An adventurer with boundless energy, Ruby loves to travel across the world with her sister Yang. Little does she realize that her first encounter with a real dragon will lead her on an adventure she couldn't possibly comprehend.
Relationships: Jaune Arc/Pyrrha Nikos, Ruby Rose/Weiss Schnee
Comments: 30
Kudos: 43





	1. The Legend of Blue Eyes White Dragon

**Author's Note:**

> It's a general RWBY story, but all the chapters are named after Yu-Gi-Oh! booster packs. Where my Duelists at?
> 
> More tags will be added as more chapters are added.

_I do hope you realize that you can't defeat me." Her heels clacked across the tiled floor, and he knew she was right. He was splayed across the floor, coughing up blood as he tried to crawl away from her. His movements were stopped as her heel slammed down on his back, and he could feel it attempting to puncture his skin. "The power of our daughters... Where are they?"_

_"Gone," he murmured, his voice barely strong enough to reach her ears. He was going to die, but it was okay. As long as the powers their daughters held were out of her hands, then the world still had a chance. "I won't tell you where they are." If she were to have their powers, and to recover the relics, then all of humanity would be doomed. He felt that it was his responsibility to save them, even if they didn't know they needed saving._

_"I didn't expect you to." She kicked him over, making him look up at her. "You always were the best of this world's heroes." To his surprise, he could see her crying, black streaks running down her cheeks. "This world cannot be saved, Ozma. We could have ruled it together. You, me, our daughters..." Her breath hitched for a second. then she was as angry as before. "But you could not see that humanity needs to be ruled over. By themselves, they are helpless: cowardly, greedy, empty. They could not live without their precious Gods," she spat out bitterly. "How can they live without us?"_

_"I believe in humanity. They are stronger than you think." He would not give up on them. Even if he had to give up what felt like the perfect life, he knew that he had to do this. Humanity was worth fighting for._

_"Then you shall die for them." Her hand became encased in black, and soon too did his vision. He just hoped that he could stop Salem before it was too late._

* * *

There was nothing better than being an adventurer. Actually, her specific circumstances were even better than being a normal adventurer. She got to cross the planes of Remnant with her big sister, whom she loved so much, and get into a lot of crazy situations with the one person she trusted to watch her back. Speaking of 'back', she had her arms wrapped around Yang's back as they rode across the pristine grasslands. She no longer squealed like a kid while feeling the wind rushing across her body, but she maybe thought about doing it every so often. Riding on a motorcycle was cool, okay?

"Are we almost there?" she screamed against the wind, grumbling to herself as she stared at Yang's shoulder. If only Yang was shorter, then she could actually see the map on her scroll that was firmly attached between the handlebars. Alas, her sister was an amazon, and she was short. It was not a helpful combination.

"Yeah! Look up ahead!" She craned her neck and gasped. The mountains were a lot closer than she had realized. Maybe she had zoned out without realizing it. Well now she was wide awake, vibrating with excitement. They had heard tale of a white dragon living near the top of the Atlesian Peaks. Just knowing that there was a chance such a beast could be living within those mountains excited Ruby beyond belief. Yang had agreed to go up there because apparently all dragons hoarded treasure, and such a find would set them up for life. For Ruby, however, it was about the experience. She had never seen a dragon in person before, and likely never would again. If she could see one, maybe even _talk_ to one, that would be so epic!

They made it to the foot of the mountains, where several wooden buildings had been erected. A few people were milling around, all of them turning to stare at the motorcycle that had suddenly come screeching into their midst. Yang pushed down her sunglasses like a badass, shooting a wink to the prettiest girl she saw in the crowd. They didn't react, as if they hadn't even seen how cool she was. "Tch, shame," she muttered to herself, elbowing Ruby to let her know it was time to get off the bike. The two of them hit the grass, with Yang rolling the bike towards what appeared to be the service station.

"Excuse me, do you have any guides left?" Ruby held onto the piece of wood sticking out in front of a pane of glass, bouncing on her toes. She couldn't keep the smile off her face, which seemed to somewhat confuse the woman behind the glass. Maybe she thought Ruby was a crazy person, or that she was too young to be making any kinds of decisions, so she immediately turned to Yang. That deflated Ruby's ego instantly. She wasn't a kid, darnit! This was a transaction she could make on her own!

"We're wanting to climb to the peak, so we need two experienced guides to help us get there." She flashed the woman a big, pearly-white smile, and Ruby rolled her eyes. It was so easy for Yang to butter people up because of how good she looked and how charismatic she was. Meanwhile, Ruby was stuck sitting at the loser's table hiding behind Yang while hoping someone would take her seriously. She really _was_ trying to get better at interacting with other people. She had totally talked to that woman without stumbling or stammering once! And yet, she had been ignored. Ugh... "And..." Yang's voice dropped to a whisper, leaning in conspiratorially. "We're looking to find the dragon, so the assistants gotta be prepared for that."

"Ah." The woman quirked an eyebrow, shaking her head. "Alright, sign these waivers." She took two pieces of paper off of a pile and passed them through a thin slit at the bottom of the glass, sneaking a pen through as well. "This just says we are not responsible for any injuries or death that may occur up there, whether from the mountains or any dragons. You take full responsibility for anything that might happen to you." Looking at each other, Yang and Ruby shrugged before signing the waivers. It wasn't like they had a choice. They passed the papers back, then the money for the guides.

The woman nodded and took the Lien necessary for the hires, then handed them two keys. "Leave anything you don't want to lose over in your lockers. There's a changing room with the gear you'll need. The guides will be ready for you in twenty minutes." Thanking her, the two of them headed for the lockers, where they emptied out their pockets of anything that wouldn't be necessary for the climb. Ruby quickly shot a text off to their dad, telling him they were heading up the mountain, not to worry about them, and that she loved him very very much. Oh, and that Yang loved him too. She had just already put her phone away.

Twenty minutes later, and they were as prepared as they could be. They were dressed up in thick jackets and snow boots, with large packs strapped to their backs. Yang's was bigger, but that was just because she was more muscular. At least her arms were covered by sleeves so she couldn't flex on Ruby again. Shaking her head, she pushed those thoughts out of her mind as they met their guides at the foot of the mountain. Neither of them said much, and when they did it was in a thick Atlesian dialect. At least, she _thought_ it was Atlesian. It didn't sound exactly right, but she wasn't familiar enough with those richy richies to say anything. She couldn't understand them anyway, and their Valian accents probably sounded weird to them too. Maybe just Yang's. Ruby was proud to sound pretty much normal to most people all over the planet.

They set off, ice picks in hand and their spiky snow boots stabbing into the mountainside. It was initially not too bad, but it was always easiest at the beginning. By the time they reached base camp, the cold had gotten right through their thick winter clothes. Both of them were shivering, but neither was planning on turning tail and heading back. In fact, despite the adverse conditions, they both were smiling at each other when they reached the camp. Or, rather, they were probably smiling. Their scarves were covering their mouths, so it was inferred. 

"That was refreshing!" Yang crowed as she sat down on her pack, crowding around a fire that had been set up by the other group of guides that had made it there before them. Four climbers were already around the fire, along with the guides, but they scooted closer together to let Yang and Ruby in. "I've climbed a mountain before, but never a snowy one. Check that one off the bucket list." She stretched out her arms, placing her gloved hands as close to the fire as possible without risking them catching fire.

"It makes you feel alive," Ruby agreed, copying her sister's motions. She sighed happily at the feeling of warmth spreading from her fingertips down her arms. Sticking her legs out too, she watched as the snow melted off her boots. It felt like the other climbers were staring at her strangely, but she tried her best to ignore them. She tried to take in every moment from each adventure she went on, from the most exciting parts down to the most minute details. Watching the snow of her first mountain climb melting off the soles of her boots felt relieving in a way. It let her know she was actually doing this. She was a long way away from her simple home in Patch.

They spent a few more hours there, stuffed in their sleeping bags around the fire. It was somewhat uncomfortable due to the lack of room, with a total of ten people trying to keep close enough to not freeze to death. However, the other group left at some point during their sleep, and the two sisters sleepily wriggled themselves into more comfortable positions. Alas, eventually they were awoken by their guides, and they were on the move again.

Naturally, the climb got more treacherous as they went on. The two of them were prepared for that, though. It wasn't as if all their adventures were scenic sightseeing tours. There was some crazy shit going on, and they had to be prepared to fight their way out of tough situations. This particular situation couldn't be gotten through with fists and Ruby's self-made scythe, though. They had to summon every ounce of strength in their bodies to keep going, through the freezing cold and stiffening muscles. It was hard to make any specific facial expressions, but the excitement inside Ruby hadn't been dampened yet. As long as the dragon stayed in her thoughts, she could keep going all the way to the top.

"There's the cave!" One of their guides pointed towards a rockier outcropping, though the wind was blowing fiercely that high up the mountain. The peak was supposed to be in sight, but all the snow being whipped around made it impossible to see. The cave that was being pointed out was basically invisible too. There were rocks, and then nothing. Not even a path. Ruby would've gulped if her throat wasn't so dry. She looked over at Yang, who looked back. Neither of them could see each other's eyes from behind their snow goggles, but they didn't need to. Their sisterly bond gave them a sort of telepathy, or at least that's what Yang had called it when they were little. In that moment, they knew they were going for it.

Their steps were even more cautious than before. With each step, they broke through the haze of hail, seeing a little bit more of the path in front of them. Yang was in the lead, sticking her leg out to see if she could touch solid ground. If she could, then she would move forward, with Ruby right behind her. They figured out through experimentation that the path they were on was existent but small, with only the mountain face for balance. Each of them put a hand on the mountain face, slowly moving along the path until it opened up. When they reached the end, that was when they _realized_ it was the end. There was a larger space for them to stand, with the mouth of a medium-sized cave greeting them.

"It's here,"' Ruby whispered, her voice immediately being whipped away by the wind. Her heart was hammering in her chest, thinking about what she would do if the dragon was actually there. What would she say? It didn't occur to her to dwell on the negatives, like if the dragon wasn't there, or if it was hostile and tried to attack them. Neither of them were armed, so they'd be defenseless. She was an optimist at heart, though, and she wanted to focus on the best case scenario. Yang was more of a realist, but she wasn't giving Ruby pause. Not that either of them could hear each other well without screaming at the top of their lungs.

She was the first one in the cave, and immediately it felt like she was stepping into another world. The snow gave way to brown, rocky walls, reaching up higher than she expected. There was a giant rock on its own near the end of the cave, but besides that there wasn't anything revealing that anything - or anyone - lived there. She frowned, feeling a stab of disappointment at seeing how empty it was. However, she had to admit that for how cold it was, it was better to be in the cave than outside with all the wind and snow.

"Damn, it's cold!" Yang exclaimed, pulling down her scarf and taking a huff from her oxygen tank. "At least there's no snow in here. I wonder where the dragon is." She put her hand above her eyes and scanned the room, looking for anything they may have missed. "Mm, I don't think there's any secret passageways. They'd have to be real big for a dragon anyway." Hearing Yang say it out loud deflated Ruby. The dragon wasn't there. After the days of climbing and desperation for heat and proper oxygen, they were left empty handed. Even with her scarf still over her face, her downcast mood was evident. "Cheer up, Rubes. We could at least climb to the very peak and plant a flag or something."

"Yeah, I guess..." She finally had to pull down her scarf to take a huff of oxygen, and she was noticeably downcast. "I just wanted to talk to a dragon once in my life. I'll never get to be a dragon, you know? I just gotta know what it's like." Yang came over and gently patted her on the shoulder, allowing the two of them to stand there silently for a moment. The only other noise came from the wind outside, and then it came from behind that large rock.

"You wish to speak to a dragon that badly?" Both Ruby and Yang jumped, nearly shocked out of their boots by the voice rumbling through the cave. They both looked at each other, and it was almost like they could see their eyes bugging out of their goggles. Then they turned back to the rock, where something stepped out from behind it. It was... It was a dragon! The first thing Ruby noticed was its eyes: a brilliant shade of icy blue that felt appropriate within the mountainous area they had climbed. Then it was the pure white scales that covered its entire body, fresh as the fallen snow outside. Finally, it was... not as big as she had expected. Sure, it was big, but she would have thought it'd take over that entire part of the cave. Instead, it was able to hide behind the rock, perhaps only seven or eight feet tall.

"Yes! Yes, I really do!" Funny enough, talking to a dragon was easier for Ruby than talking to an actual person. She was probably putting her issues with other people in front of common sense, but that's just how it was for her. Weapons, pets, and creatures all weren't as judgemental or undependable as humans could be, something she knew about all too well. "I have so many questions! How does it feel to fly? What do your scales feel like? How many kinds of elemental dragons are there in the world? Ooh, could I take a picture?! Wait, I couldn't take my phone up here. Shoot..."

"You certainly do have a lot of questions." The dragon made a noise that sounded like a laugh, though she wasn't sure if it was laughing with her or at her. "I will answer your questions, but not here. If I laid here and answered every question the two of you might have, you would certainly freeze to death. Instead, I will answer your questions in Atlas."

"Woah woah woah! You're going to Atlas?! They let dragons into Atlas?!" Yang couldn't keep her mouth shut. Hearing that a dragon was going to answer all of the questions they had ever wanted to ask a dragon in Atlas blew her mind. Wouldn't the press have a field day? The people up there were so uppity from what she had heard. This didn't sound like it could possibly be an everyday occurance. 

"Obviously not. I will speak with you in my human form. Honestly, think about what you said." Okay, Ruby was pretty sure they were being critiqued by a dragon. Wild... "In a week, there will be a gala at the Schnee Manor. Be there at six o'clock sharp. I will seek you out. And please be sure to dress proper. It is a _fancy_ gala." She started heading for the entrance of the cave, walking by the two sisters. Despite how they were being talked to, Ruby couldn't help but stare in awe. She was standing only a couple feet away from an actual dragon. This was something she had to tell everyone! She would tell her dang waiter, that's how excited she was.

"Well, that sounds... fun." Yang stood there with her hands on her hips, watching the dragon leave the cave and take flight, disappearing into the snowstorm. "She does realize we're not rich and famous, right? We'll never get into Atlas. Is this really worth all this effort?" She turned to Ruby, who was bouncing on the balls of her feet. Well, that answered that question. "Alright alright. We're going to have to dress up fancy and bluff our way into Atlas. I'm going to have to show some cleavage, alright? It's just something we're going to have to deal with."

"Yeah yeah, I know," Ruby grumbled, looking down at her own chest, hidden beneath layers of warm clothing. She did not luck out on the ladylike department like Yang did. Whatever, though. She didn't need all that stuff getting in the way of her adventuring. "I can't wait to talk to a real dragon! I wonder what they look like as a human." It was hard to keep a good Ruby down for long.

"I'm sure they'll look like a big scary person or something. You know what they say about dragons. Don't worry, though: I'll protect you, Rubes." She did her best to flex in her large jacket, and Ruby rolled her eyes. "Alright, I guess we should get down from here." They were both in agreement on that. As they were leaving the cave, Ruby's boot connected with something. Stopping for a moment, she looked down and her eyes widened in surprise. It was one of the dragon's scales, so brilliantly white that it surely would've been lost in the snow. In the cave, though... Giddy at the discovery, she bent down and scooped it up, only to get shouted at by Yang. "What's the hold up, Rubes?"

"Sorry!" She hurried after Yang, allowing them to leave the cave and head back to their guides. It was hopeless for her to keep her excitement in check, though. She loved collecting souvenirs from their journeys, and this was a doozy of one. It was going straight on the top shelf! This was maybe the most exciting moment of her life. She couldn't wait to go to Atlas!


	2. Metal Raiders

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruby and Yang head to the Schnee Manor, where they get to ask the dragon all of the burning questions they have. They also meet a strange girl named Penny.

"This is the worst," Ruby grumbled, standing in front of the gates to Schnee Manor. She kept trying to adjust her red dress, but it never seemed to become comfortable. Worse than the dress were the heels, which made her keep a hand on Yang's shoulder for support. "How do other girls walk in these stupid things? I feel like I'm on stilts." She wasn't a girl who played dress-up, so getting dolled up felt way too strange for her. Dresses couldn't hold a candle to combat skirts, and the _heels_. Ugh, heels were the worst! She could walk straighter with her feet in empty tissue boxes.

"You know what's the worst? How much we have to spend on that hotel. Even one night is ridiculous. We should've just stayed in Mantle and dealt with all the flight BS." Yang was bitching about the money, but she wasn't wrong: even staying one night in an Atlas hotel took a good chunk out of their savings. At least she wasn't uncomfortable at one of these fancy parties. She didn't go to them, but she knew about getting dolled up. In a pure white dress, she looked absolutely stunning. If they happened to need anything, she would have no trouble acquiring it for them.

They clammed up as soon as they reached the front doors, where two large men in black suits stood guard. Typical. They were probably being stared at, but it was hard to tell with the sunglasses they were wearing. Could they _be_ any more stereotypical? However, as soon as Yang shot them a wink, they silently allowed them passage. Ruby wanted to roll her eyes at how easy it was for Yang to do such things, but she instead just nodded courteously to the guards as the two of them entered the manor.

"Holy..." Ruby whistled lowly, immediately struck by the beauty and glamor they have just walked into. The manor was _huge_ , which made sense, since it was a manor. So many parts of the interior looked as if they were made of ice. It was like they had walked into the most intricate ice sculpture ever created. There were so many people too, all of them dressed super fancy and milling around with glasses of wine and finger foods delicately held with hands that likely hadn't done a hard day's work in their lives. "Nobody said anything about there being so many people here..."

"It's a party, Rubes. Of course there's going to be people." Yang took a glass of red wine and sipped it delicately. It was like watching a completely different person. "Needs something mixed in. Anyway, we have to wait for your dragon to seek us out, right? There's nothing else we can do but wait and nab some rich people food." Her eyes were moving across the different waiters, but it was the trays of food she was eyeing. "Uh, look, there's someone over there. She seems awkward like you. Why don't you go talk to her?"

"What?" Ruby turned in the direction Yang was pointing. Standing against the wall was a girl with bright orange hair, indeed looking somewhat awkward in a pale green dress. She seemed to have found the best place to stand where no one was within a five foot ratio of her, which made Ruby a bit jealous. "I dunno, Yang. I don't even know who she is..." Talking to people was awkward enough. but initiating conversation? That was harder than climbing the Atlesian Peaks.

"That's why you find out! Look, Rubes, I know you. If you stand around here long enough, you're going to start fidgeting, and then people are going to notice you, and then they'll ask questions. You're not the greatest liar, you know." She sighed, knowing that Yang was right. The things she'd do for adventure... "Just ask her about the weather or whatever. I'm sure it'll be fine. Now, if you'll excuse me..." Satisfied that Ruby was as encouraged as she could be, Yang slid away from her side and to the nearest waiter, where she was prepared to 'test' all of the food. Sighing again, Ruby glanced around nervously before heading towards the ginger girl.

The two of them made eye contact halfway there, which meant there was no turning back now. Swallowing down her anxieties, she kept moving forward, which meant nearly falling over every couple of steps due to her death shoes. The other girl was staring at her openly now, probably realizing that she wasn't one of them due to her lack of heel skills. Why were combat boots not high fashion?! In a case of 'worst case scenario', her legs finally gave up the ghost and she started falling to the right. She waved her arms around in a panic, as if she could generate enough wind power to put her back in place. Right before she hit the ground, however, the ginger-haired girl was there, crossing the distance in a second to catch her.

"You must be careful," she warned as soon as she had Ruby back on her feet. "It is not safe to wear high heels if you have not walked in them before." It was that obvious, huh? Ugh, and people were staring at them now. It was time to disappear forever.

"Yeah, I figured..." Her face was certainly red now. Well, now that she had finished embarrassing herself, she was supposed to introduce herself. What an introduction, huh? This girl must know for sure now that she wasn't Atlesian, or from anywhere even close to there. "Hi, uh, thanks for the save. I'm Ruby." She stuck her hand out, and it stayed there as the girl just stared at it. "Uh, I'm sorry?" She pulled her hand back, now wondering if handshakes weren't a custom in Atlas. Maybe she should've read a book beforehand.

"Nobody has ever asked me to shake their hand before." She looked back up at Ruby's face, her eyes wide. "Is this a sign of friendship?" A... handshake? Okay, there was no way _she_ was the weird one, right? Maybe all that money did something to their heads.

"Uh, yeah, sure." She decided to just go with it, not wanting to either offend or make things any more awkward than they already were. Suddenly her hand was right back out as the girl had grabbed it and was shaking it with quite a lot of strength. She nearly had her arm yanked out of its socket. Were she and Yang related?

"That is so great to hear! I am so happy to have a friend! My name is Penny, and it is so very nice to meet you, Ruby!" She gave her temples a quick tap to stop her eyes from spinning around. Goodness, that girl had a grip. It was weird, though... Penny was acting as if she was her _first_ friend, but that couldn't be true, right? Even she, with her terrible social anxiety, had friends. "How are you liking Atlas? It must look quite incredible if this is your first time here."

"You knew?" Ruby swallowed thickly: so it _was_ obvious. Yang wasn't going to like hearing that. If they got thrown out of the manor before meeting the dragon, she'd be crushed. "Please don't tell anyone! I don't want to get thrown out!"

"Do not worry, friend Ruby! I would never tell on my new friend!" Penny was weird, but it was the kind of weird she could get behind. She giggled, covering her mouth to hide her laughter. "Making a friend laugh... That is most excellent! I will check that off my list!" She went stock still, as if getting clocked with a frying pan, before coming back to life. "Make a friend laugh: completed! This is so exciting!" She looked legitimately excited, which confused the heck out of Ruby. Oh well, as long as she wasn't being booted off the premises, Penny could be as weird as she wanted. "Oh, Ms. Schnee! Good evening!" Ms. Schnee? Like the manor? Ruby looked over and her jaw immediately dropped.

It was like one of the ice sculptures had come to life. She had never seen anyone look so... so _beautiful_. Everything about her was as immaculate as the rest of the people in the manor, but there was something different about her. It was in her eyes: icy blue and calm yet storming at the same time. Those eyes, and that hair of pure snow, flowing effortlessly down her back, it felt so familiar... She had to be the dragon! It was an intuition that hit her like a brick. Ms. Schnee had come towards them, but her eyes weren't on Penny: they were on _her_.

"Good evening," she replied courteously with a quick nod to Penny. "I don't believe I've seen you around here." She was speaking to Ruby now, and she hoped there weren't any questions asked of her because she'd never be able to get her tongue working to answer them. "You like climbing mountains, I presume?" Ah, it was code! She nodded, thankful such a question could be answered without moving her lips. "I thought so." A small smile played on her lips, and Ruby was convinced it was the most beautiful smile she had ever seen. "If you would like to bring your climbing partner, we can discuss it in a quieter place. If you'll excuse us, Penny."

"Absolutely, Ms. Schnee!" She saluted them both, and it looked so silly that Ruby burst into giggles again. "Ah, _twice_! This is a moment I will never forget!" Covering her mouth, she started to lead Weiss back into the crowd in an attempt to find Yang. However, she had forgotten that her shoes were _not_ made for walking, and she was immediately wobbling again. It did not escape the notice of Ms. Schnee.

"Have you never walked in heels before?" Ruby looked down, seeing a pair of pristine white heels on her feet. Yeah, that seemed about right. She shook her head, feeling like the floor had become a balance beam. "I did not expect someone who would climb a mountain to meet a dragon to be so uncultured." That sounded like an insult if she ever heard one. She pouted, which made Ms. Schnee giggle. Shoot, her laughter was so much airier and prettier than her own laugh. What the heck?! "I would prefer you didn't make a fool of yourself in my manor. Come on." She reached out and grabbed Ruby's hand, gripping it tightly as she began to take the lead.

If she had any hope of talking before, it was gone now. Her breath was stolen away when she felt the cool skin of Ms. Schnee's hand around hers. Feelings, so many feelings... She didn't like this one bit! To her relief and disappointment, they quickly found Yang snacking on what looked like some sort of mini-sausage. Who would even bother making one that small? It wouldn't feed Zwei!

"Woah," Yang murmured as they approached, her eyes going right for Ms. Schnee. "Is she...?" They both nodded, which made her smile. "Excellent! We going somewhere?"

"Yes: somewhere less pretentious than down here. Shall we?" She was in the lead again, heading up the stairs with the sisters in tow. Ruby had her hand on Yang's shoulder, feeling _less_ balanced climbing up the stairs in heels than she had climbing that darn mountain.

"Yang," she whispered frantically, her eyes darting between Yang and Ms. Schnee. "Help, I think I just discovered my sexuality."

"Congrats, sis. Make sure to practice kissing on your Beowulf plush before trying it for real. I bet Atlas girls expect only the best." Ruby shoved her hard and nearly fell over in the process, so that wasn't her smartest move. Thankfully the stairs finally ended, allowing her to only somewhat be at risk of falling over. She was _never_ wearing heels again, no matter what! Rich people would just have to deal with a pair of sneakers.

"Woah, this place is huge." Yang was the one to vocalize it, but both of them were staring around in awe. It seemed like the hallways never ended, and there were so many rooms they'd probably get lost looking for the bathroom. "You really _do_ live comfortably up here."

"That is one way of putting it." With it being _her_ manor, Ms. Schnee had no trouble navigating through it. They eventually reached what apparently was the correct door, which she opened and allowed them inside. It was a bedroom, which was so clean that it made Ruby feel bad about her own bedroom. There didn't seem to be a single piece out of place. Whether Ms. Schnee was a neat freak or they had maids to clean everything up, she wasn't sure, and she didn't feel like wasting one of her questions asking. Ms. Schnee then sat down on the bed, as gently and perfect as possible. "Alright, it's just the three of us now. If you have any questions, now is the time to ask."

"Thank you so much, Ms. Schnee-"

"Weiss," she responded curtly, cutting Ruby off. "Only kowtowers and the avaricious call me Ms. Schnee." Well, she was pretty sure she wasn't either of those things, but she kind of, sort of didn't know what either of them meant. She looked over at Yang, who just shrugged.

"Well, uh, thank you, Weiss. I, uh, I have so many questions." She had been thrown off guard ever since she stepped foot in the manor, but especially when Weiss first came into her vision. It was a wonder she even remembered what language was, but the questions she wanted to know were too important to ask. "Are you born a dragon, or a human? Is it genetic or was it some sort of curse? There's so many different theories..." While dragons were known to exist, concrete knowledge of them wasn't so prolific. She couldn't miss this opportunity to find out.

"We are all born as humans. Being able to transform into a dragon is genetic, having been passed down the Schnee bloodline for generations." She had the fairest Atlesian accent, much easier to understand than their mountain guides. She wasn't crazy for accents or anything, but Weiss's was so melodic on the ears. It was the kind of voice she'd want singing to her at night when she was trying to fall asleep. She could make reading the scroll directory exciting. "My siblings are the same as I."

"You have siblings?" She couldn't remember seeing any other people at the party who looked like Schnees.

"My brother is skulking around downstairs somewhere. As for my sister, I have not seen her in many years." There was a melancholic tone to her words, but she didn't seem willing to divulge anything else on that topic. It was likely best to move on.

"How does it feel to fly? It seems like it's so cool! I've always wanted to fly." She had been convinced she could fly when she was six years old, and she jumped off the roof of her dad's car to prove it. That was when she first unlocked her semblance, and also broke her nose.

"It is... freeing. To be able to move through the skies unencumbered is the freest I have ever been." Again with the melancholic tone. There was something that was bothering Weiss, but she probably didn't feel comfortable telling it to people she just met. That made sense, but Ruby _really_ wanted to know so she could try and help. Who would want to make such a beautiful woman sad? Not a good person, that was for sure!

Now, there was something else that had seemingly caught both Ruby and Yang's attention. Neither of them felt it proper to bring it up, but it didn't stop them from accidentally gazing in the direction of Weiss's left eye. Specifically, there was a long scar going down that side of her face, which had faded enough to make them believe it had happened some time ago. Had it been there in her dragon form? She must've been delirious from the exhaustion and her excitement to notice. Now standing in front of her, the scarring was much more apparent, as well as the cloudiness in her eye. It was obvious that it was socially improper to ask: even Ruby knew that. Unfortunately, their staring was noticeable, as was the frown on Weiss's face.

"Well, at least I know you are not here for my treasure," she remarked, a touch of ice in her tone. "Otherwise you would not be so blatant in staring at my scar." Ruby's own eyes widened as she pointedly looked away, which had her staring at the ceiling on accident. Yang did the same thing, ending up staring at the floor. The silly scenario actually got a laugh out of Weiss. "While I don't blame you for your staring, it _is_ rather tiresome, so let's get this out of the way. Yes, I am blind in this eye. No, the story is not for the ears of strangers. It is not a dragon-related question, after all." Her response was as polite as could be in that situation, but it was clear there was no room for negotiation. That shut the sisters up, which seemed to be enough to soften Weiss's expression. "Alright, I have a question for you two, if I may." They both nodded, curious about what a dragon might want to ask them. "How is it to be adventurers? Do you feel truly free wandering around the continents, seeking adventure wherever you want? I have never been able to ask someone that."

"Oh, well, it's super fun and exciting! We still need to go to Vacuo, but we've been all over Vale doing whatever we want, and we've killed like..." She started counting on her fingers, but gave up quickly. "... at _least_ a hundred Grimm! We've got these awesome weapons that we built ourselves and we get to protect people who are being troubled by the Grimm. You should see Crescent Rose! Except _someone_ wouldn't let me bring her." She shot a pointed look at Yang, who rolled her eyes.

"Yes, I'm sure the Atlesian elite wouldn't be suspicious in the slightest if a shorty like you walked in tripping over her heels with a gigantic scythe on her back." Ruby pouted deeply, giving Yang a shove. That got her a shove in return, and soon the two of them were half-wrestling right in front of Weiss, who just watched them in utter confusion. Then she started to laugh, hiding the dainty, ethereal sound behind a pale hand. That stopped the two sisters, who realized who they were fighting in front of and immediately stepped away from each other.

"I have never seen two people act in such a manner together with such playful intent. It's... different," she mused, another meaning in her words that neither sister could decipher. "How long have the two of you known each other?"

"Uh, all our lives. We're sisters!" Yang declared, wrapping an arm around Ruby's shoulder and pulling her close. Weiss just stared at them, disbelief written all over her face.

"You're kidding me. You don't look anything like each other."

"Yeah, you know how it is." She did _not_ appear to know how 'it' was. "Same dad, different moms. I got my mom's good looks and her abandonment issues. She got her mom's sense of justice and love of cookies." Weiss just nodded, still seemingly very perplexed. "Did you never play fight with your siblings when you were a kid?"

"Hah, hardly. We had more important tasks to do, like advanced schooling and proper business manners." Yang's jaw dropped: what kind of childhood was that?! That was like something out of a silly TV show. As for Ruby, she felt a strange sadness welling up inside her. Had Weiss never gotten to experience the things that regular kids did? Was that just how her family was, or was that how _all_ Atlesians were? It actually made her miss her dad. She'd have to call him later when they got back to their expensive as all heck hotel.

"Well, why don't you come with us? We could go on a bunch of adventures together, and you could show us all the coolest spots in Atlas!" Both Yang and Weiss gawked at her: Yang for Ruby asking something like that out of the blue without consulting her, and Weiss just for the sheer audacity of the suggestion. "Wouldn't it be fun? We could be the three amigas! Ooh, maybe we could bring Penny too! You know, the girl down there that I was talking to? Groups of four are awesome if you're all friends and know each other and don't feel super weird talking to one another!"

"Ruby, that is a nice thought, but it is naive. Neither of us would be allowed to leave Atlas, so adventuring with the two of you is completely out of the question." She spoke with conviction, but it didn't feel honest. Ruby could see the hurt in Weiss's eyes, appearing and then blinking out of existence. There was something not right about this. She didn't say she didn't want to go, but that she _couldn't_ go. Why not? It seemed... private, and yet she couldn't leave it alone. She had only just met Weiss, but she felt this compulsion to know more about her, and that included whatever was going on in this instance.

"Why can't either of you leave?" Weiss was silent for a moment, weighing something in her mind.

"Penny has an important job to do here in Atlas. Having her leave for any amount of time would be irresponsible. As for me..." She let out a tiny sigh, staring beyond the shoulders of Ruby and Yang. "I am not allowed to leave the grounds without supervision on the command of my father. I'm only allowed to leave when I am in my dragon, and that is for... other reasons." Like before, those 'reasons' were not meant to be disclosed. "As enticing as your offer may be, I must decline. I'm sorry, Ruby."

That was so sad to hear... Again, Ruby thought about her own dad, who worried about them but would never stop them from adventuring. It sounded like Weiss's dad was super controlling. Maybe it was because his children were dragons, but that wasn't a good enough excuse! Weiss should be allowed to spread her wings, physically and metaphorically. It wasn't something she was able to stop thinking about. It sat in the pit of her stomach like a rock, taking away most of her abilities to think of anything else.

"We'll figure something out." Her voice came out as a whisper, but it was heard loud and clear. Regardless, she spoke louder, with the positive conviction she always carried. "We won't let you be stuck here because of your family. We'll... We'll figure something out! And then you can come on any adventures with us that you want! I promise you, Weiss. We _will_ save you." For something she had little knowledge of, she felt a new sense of confidence that she and Yang could do something. Weiss didn't deserve to be locked in her house forever, even if it _was_ huge and awesome-looking.

"Honestly Ruby, you have no idea what you're talking about. You can't just say you're going to free me and expect to be able to do it. There is a difference between being an adventurer and being a businesswoman. If you stuck your foot in my father's world, he would crush you." It seemed as if she had already resigned herself to her fate, which made Ruby's stomach churn. There couldn't be _nothing_ she could do... "I'm sorry, but I need to go. My absence will be noticed if I'm here any longer." She stood up, her eyes lingering on Ruby. It felt like she was being drawn into a full, tortured world she couldn't possibly comprehend. "I hope I answered all your questions."

"Thank you," Ruby whispered, knowing that all her questions _hadn't_ been answered, but unwilling to put Weiss in any more of an uncomfortable position than she already was. She had gotten information about dragons that she never expected to, yet she couldn't help but feel completely dejected. Knowing that Weiss was trapped in her house and couldn't go anywhere without supervision felt wrong. Even getting to be a freaking dragon didn't seem to sate the desire for freedom that she held deep within her chest. That didn't sit right with Ruby: not one bit. On her honor as an adventurer, she was going to free Weiss and take her all over Remnant! And it did _not_ have anything to do with how stunningly pretty Weiss was.

"C'mon, Ruby. We'd better get back to our bank-breaking hotel. Unless you'd like to stay and mingle." She grinned as Ruby made a face, the thought of having to interact with more people making her stomach turn. "Thank you for answering our questions, Weiss. We really do appreciate it, and we're sorry for any issues we may have caused you." Weiss smiled at that, shaking her head slightly.

"It was not a problem. I wish you two the best of luck." She seemed like she had more to say, but instead she just left them with, "If circumstances were different, perhaps I could join you." There was a wistfulness to her tone: it seemed to surround her body like an aura. Ruby could almost feel the sadness if she reached her hand out. Without knowing what to do, however, she just stood there, caught between the easiness of leaving and the troubles roiling in her mind over Weiss being trapped in her own home.

"I... I want that to happen. I want you to come with us, Weiss." She turned around, eyes burning with determination and importance. Yang recognized that look: it was the one where she was going to promise something that would be a real bitch to fulfill. It was too late to stop her, though: it usually was. "We're going to get you out of here, no matter what, Your family won't stop us, because you're your own woman and you should be allowed to do what you want! We're going to come back for you, Weiss. I promise." She was so sure of it. It wasn't fair of her family to refuse her the freedom that the two of them had. She had to do something about it!

"You're using a lot of 'we' when I never agreed to this," Yang leaned in and mumbled.

"Ruby, please do not make promises like that. There is nothing either of you can do." Weiss walked up to them, placing a hand on Ruby's shoulder. "You cannot go against my father: no one can. Please don't waste your time." Her voice was icy, but it didn't reach her eyes. Ruby was sure that Weiss wanted to leave, but felt it was too great a task. Well, not to her! Nothing was impossible! However, she could tell that arguing further would get them nowhere. As much as she wanted to play the hero, she might cause more trouble than any of them wanted to deal with. It pained her greatly, but she had to acquiesce. For now, at least.

"Alright Weiss... but I'll figure out how to bust you out of here, and then I'll come back. I promise you that." She didn't take her promises lightly. They were made from the heart, and she trusted her heart just as much as her brain. Well, sometimes anyway. It made Weiss laugh at least, an airy laugh that sounded like the gentle movement of a glass chandelier.

"You are something else, Ruby. I have never met anyone like you. You would die in Atlas." She had a faint smile on her face, but it faded into something akin to a thin, businesswoman-like line as she stepped back from the two sisters. "I wish you two good luck on your adventures, and perhaps our paths will cross again." With no argument left to wage, Ruby could only give Weiss a wave before she and Yang were heading out of the room. As they went down the hall and down the stairs, she couldn't help but feel unfulfilled. She had gotten to speak to a dragon and ask her every question she wanted, but it felt secondary to her worries about Weiss. That was something she never expected to think.

"Alright, I guess we're outskis, huh? Lemme grab a few more of those little finger foods. Would it kill them to have something a bit more substantial, like a hot dog? Oh, you want anything?" Ruby shook her head, and the two temporarily separated as they reached the bottom step. Yang went to get her food while Ruby milled around the nearest wall, feeling dejected and unfulfilled. The visage of a sad, resigned Weiss lingered in her mind despite the physical distance now placed between them. It was powerful enough that she didn't even notice someone trying to get her attention.

"Friend Ruby?" She squealed and jumped when Penny's hand touched her shoulder, again nearly collapsing as her stupid heels met the ground. Again Penny had to catch her, and again there were stares. She really was not cut out for these kinds of parties, huh? "Is everything alright? You are very tense and you are frowning quite deeply. Did something happen when you were talking with Miss Schnee?"

"Not exactly," she sighed. She wasn't even sure where to begin with what had happened. It likely wasn't her place to tell Penny anything anyway, even if she knew Weiss. That was something best left to Weiss to share. Instead, she decided it was best to try and deflect. "Hey Penny, it was really nice meeting you, but we've gotta head out. We're going back to our hotel. Stupid expensive hotel." She shuddered at how much the bill was when it was handed to Yang. If their dad saw how much they had spent, he'd have a conniption.

"Oh, I have an idea! Why don't you stay at my house? It will not cost you anything, and we can talk about your adventures and Atlas and girl talk all night! Wouldn't that be fun?" Well, besides the girl talk... Honestly, it _did_ sound fun. She didn't get to talk to a lot of people because of her crippling social anxiety, but she felt a lot better talking to Penny than she did most people. It also helped that Penny was so eager that she didn't have to come up with anything to talk about herself. Figuring out how to small talk was one of her greatest weaknesses.

"That sounds great! Mm, I should probably ask Yang." After already volunteering her for something she didn't agree to, it'd probably be best to actually _ask_ permission now, though she couldn't imagine Yang having a problem with saving money. Now all she had to do was find her...

"You looking for me?" Yang suddenly appeared behind her, taking a drink of what looked to be white wine. "We ready to boogie? This place has garbage alcohol."

"Actually, Penny was saying we could stay at her house tonight. It would mean no expensive hotel-"

"Yup, I'm down." That didn't take much convincing. "You said the magic words. Let's head to the hotel and get our money back, and then we'll head over to your place. Can you give Ruby your address so we can get there afterwards?"

"Oh no, you would get lost since this is your first time in Atlas. Let me help you with the hotel, and then I can take you to my house." She smiled brightly, already turning to head out. "Shall we go, ladies?"

"Wait, don't you have to stay here? Won't someone notice you're gone?" As much as she wanted to get out of the manor as soon as possible, she would hate to be the cause of Penny getting in trouble.

"Do not worry! I can leave any time I wish, as long as I do not go too far. My father said I don't have to stay at these galas anymore since they hired the military directly to stand guard." ... Uhh, what did that mean? What was that about the military? That question lingered on Ruby's tongue as Penny started walking to the door, a cheery skip in her step. "Come on, friends! Let us get your Lien back from the hotel!" She looked to Yang, wanting to know what that was all about about the military, but Yang could only shrug. Well, whatever that meant... They both hurried after Penny, willing to leave the question unanswered in order to get out of that stuffy mansion.

* * *

The people at the hotel were not exactly happy about returning their money. They didn't seem to have a hope or a prayer, or even a leg to stand on. The haggling got to a point where Yang looked as if she was ready to knock the lady behind the counter's block off, but thankfully Penny intervened before they all ended up in an Atlesian prison. It seemed that Penny held some sway throughout Atlas, and though it was begrudgingly, the lady gave them their money back. That was such a relief. They were both thanking Penny the entire way to her house.

Unlike the manor that Weiss lived in, Penny's house was much cozier. At least they wouldn't have to worry about getting lost. "Let me tell my father you're here." They were led to a kindly looking man in a wheelchair who introduced himself as Pietro. Ruby was immediately in awe of the chair he was sitting in: it looked incredibly advanced, but she wouldn't expect any less from the crazy-cool technology Atlas had. It ran circles around what any other region had, and she had never thought she'd have an opportunity to take a look at it in person.

"I have a feeling you have a question you want to ask me." In an older, comforting voice, he directed his words towards Ruby, who went stock-still. She had been caught eyeing every inch of his wheelchair that she could, but the question she specifically wanted to answer embarrassed her. It could only be spoken in a hushed whisper.

"Does your wheelchair have secret machine guns or rocket launchers packed inside it?" The question actually floored Penny, as the room went dead silent for several seconds. Then Pietro burst into an uproarious laughter, slamming his fists on his armrests. It was like what Ruby had said was the funniest thing he had ever heard.

"Oh my goodness, I have _never_ been asked such a question. You must be into weapons, aren't you Miss Rose?" She nodded sheepishly. "Well, no, my chair does not have such weaponry. It would be pretty cool if it did, though, right?" Ruby perked up instantly, nodding hard. Yang could only roll her eyes fondly. Ruby really _was_ the weapon nut of the family. At least she could trust that Ruby would safely use the weapons in her hands, unlike _some_ people... "I would be happy to have you two stay the night. My little girl could use some company." He reached up to ruffle Penny's hair fondly, and she leaned in to let him happily.

"We really appreciate it," Yang responded, reaching out to shake his hand. Ruby did the same to not seem impolite. "Are you sure you don't want us to pay you anything? I know we're imposing."

"Oh no no, please keep your money. You have to pay an arm and a leg to spend time up here." He looked down at his own legs, then back up at the shocked looks on the sisters' faces. "You can laugh, you know. Believe me, without a sense of humor, you'll die up here. Either that or you already rule up here." He laughed at that, his wheelchair seemingly moving on its own to let him leave the hallway. _'So cool!'_ "Besides, I see more broken Atlas tech in here than actual souls, so it's nice to have more people here." And with that he was gone, removing the argument for them to pay him anything.

"Well, I guess we're staying here for free," Yang remarked, shrugging. "That's a pretty sweet deal to me."

"Ugh, _finally_ I can take these off!" Ruby dramatically kicked off her heels, nearly falling to the floor and kissing the floor now that she could balance on it. "I am never ever wearing those again. I don't care what kind of fancy schmancy parties we have to go to."

"You must really not like heels," Penny giggled, turning around with her hands behind her back. "Let me show you to my room!" She led the two of them to her room, which ended up being pretty small. There was a bed and a chester drawer with several pictures on it, but besides that there wasn't much in the room to distinguish it as her own. "I apologize for the bareness of my room. Actually, maybe you two can help me!" She whipped around to stare at them with a big smile. "What do you two have in your rooms? What is your, mm... 'aesthetic'. Is that the word?"

"Well, our aesthetics would be different than yours. What do you like?" Yang sat down on Penny's bed, feeling it hold steady beneath her. Dust, it was hard. How did she sleep on this thing?

"Hmm... Well, I like making friends, and my father. I..." She stopped, frowning slightly. "I'm not sure what else I like," she admitted, getting lost in thought. Ruby felt like she should step in, because it seemed like Penny was having trouble.

"That's okay, Penny. I'm sure we can work something out." She gently put a hand on Penny's shoulder, giving her a soft smile. "I'm sure there's _some_ things you like. We can talk about that tonight. I'll help you find cool things to decorate your room with!" What she lacked in social skills she made for in confident enthusiasm. It seemed to be enough for Penny, who started smiling too. She gave Ruby a thumbs up.

"I believe in you, friend Ruby!"

* * *

"You seem unhappy, Penny. What's wrong?" Pietro had his wheelchair placed perfectly at his command console, typing on his keyboard purposefully. Penny was next to him, facing the door with a small cable plugged into her back. Data was flowing across the screen: white letters on a deep blue background, though occasionally the letters were red and in a garbled language that Pietro was unable to understand. All of that data was logged into a file called 'Personal Thoughts,' which had a specific data lock that only Penny herself was able to access.

"I can't stop thinking about how cool it is what Ruby and Yang do. They get to see the entire world, and they know what they like. They told me their rooms have posters and shelves of stuff they've collected and things they like. I don't have any of those things." She could have it. If she told her dad what she wanted, then it would be easy to either get or make what she wanted. The issue was that she didn't _have_ anything that could fulfill such a requirement. Her whole life had been spent in Atlas, and she didn't have anything that interested her like normal girls did.

"Oh Penny, you haven't had enough time to find yourself yet. Believe me, what we do does not give us much time to find other interests." He chuckled to himself, decades of a weary life in his laughter. While he spoke, he kept typing away, moving data around into the appropriate categories. "I understand your frustrations, Penny. It is... stifling, but you are needed here in Atlas for the time being. Both of us are." She sighed, nodding slowly. She knew that. She had been created for a purpose, and that did not include leaving to see the world. If only...

"I know, dad. I just... I wish I could go adventuring with Ruby and Yang. It would be so much fun, and I could find things that I enjoy." She smiled faintly at the thought, but the reality of her situation came crashing back down on her. "I wish I was a normal girl like they are."


	3. Magic Ruler

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruby and Yang end up in Argus, where Ruby's still thinking about Weiss. However, a new woman enters the picture to take over Ruby's mind. Just not in a good way.

The two adventuring sisters were back on the road again, or rather on the ocean. They were sailing to Argus after their business was finished in Atlas, but a part of Ruby's mind still remained there. It was tough to forget about Weiss, the lonely dragon locked in her family's manor, or her strange new friend Penny. She didn't get a lot of chances to make close relationships, so when she did, she wanted to hold onto them as tightly as she could. Unfortunately, those two were not so easy to stay in contact with. It was just a chance meeting, but she still felt like two good friendships were being left behind in Atlas.

"Cheer up, Rubes. At least we got to talk to a dragon." Yang was right, but it didn't make her feel any better. What she wanted went beyond her previous desire to speak with a dragon. Now she wanted to help Weiss, or at least to be around her. In both a friendly way and maybe a bit more than just friendly. Realizing that she was experiencing her first crush was weird, but it was so powerful that she didn't have her usual reaction of running away from it. Rather, she wanted to run right _towards_ it, to feel the human touch she wanted from Weiss. Or was it a dragon touch? Human-dragon touch.

The thoughts didn't leave her mind when they reached Argus. Her steps were heavy as she watched Yang put her motorcycle up in a storage locker, as if she was walking in leaden shoes. "Well, I suppose we'll be here for a couple days. At least it's cheaper here than in Atlas." She laughed, but stopped when she saw Ruby was still looking forlorn. "I know it sucks, Ruby. When you have your first crush, you feel like that's the one you're going to be with forever, even if you've barely spoken to them." Ruby sighed deeply, feeling that all too well. "Weiss seems like a cool chick too. A bit brusque, but she's in a pretty bad situation by the sound of it."

"That's what I can't stop thinking about. She's trapped there and there isn't anything we can do. It's awful!" She kicked at the air, seething with frustration. It wasn't in her nature to give up, though. There was some way to free Weiss from her fate. She just needed time to think about it. That was why after they left Argus, she wanted to go back home for a bit. She needed time in her room, with her normal comforts. That was always the best environment for her to come up with her best, most awesome ideas. She just needed some time away from adventuring, with her dad, sister, and dog. That was a recipe for major brainstorming.

"I don't want to leave her there either. It isn't right for her family to do that to her. We're just two girls, though. Doing something that reckless is way out of our depth, and that's coming from me." She laughed and wrapped an arm around Ruby's shoulders. "I'm sure we'll figure out something, though. Every time there's been a problem placed in front of you, you've solved it. As for me, I'll just..." She punched the air, grinning. "... _break_ it. That's what makes us such a good team."

"Absolutely!" She laughed too, feeling a bit more at ease. With both her and Yang working together, there was nothing they couldn't do. _'Don't worry, Weiss. We're going to save you from your family! And then we're gonna hold hands or something_. _'_

With that confidence buoying her, she was able to enjoy her time in Argus with Yang. There wasn't much adventuring to do there, but it was nice to take a breather, if only for a moment. Of course, it was natural that she would get restless eventually, so she and Yang took some time to go their separate ways. Rather than search for a bar like Yang was doing, she decided to take a stroll around the city. It was really nice that time of year, with autumn leaves falling around her, crunching beneath her boots. She loved breathing in the cool, crisp air and just having time to herself. Nobody else walking around bothered to look at her, which was what she wanted.

However, her preferred loneliness was interrupted by an unfamiliar voice. "So, this is where you are." She whirled around quickly, automatically pulling Crescent Rose off her back. In front of her stood a woman in a red dress. She was smiling, but there was no warmth there. It was cold and cruel, and Ruby instantly felt a chill running down her spine.

"Who are you?" She held her ground, keeping Crescent Rose at the ready. Something wasn't right, and she wasn't about to let her guard down for a moment. The woman laughed, a silky-smooth sound that still managed to wreak havoc on her calm. Her grip tightened on her weapon.

"Oh, you don't need to worry about that. I'm just here for something you have that belongs to me." She was slipping a long black glove on her hand as she spoke, though her eyes never left Ruby. "If you give it up quietly, I might even let you live."

"I don't have anything of yours. I don't even know you." How could she own something of this woman's if they had never met in her life? Everything she had was hers through and through. Did she want her weapon? She seemed way too menacing for that, though.

"Don't worry: you will." The woman snapped her fingers on her gloved hand, and suddenly the entire world shifted around them. Instead of the calm Argus walkways, they were now in some dark, creepy-looking realm. The ground was black and purple, oozing a liquid that was somehow blacker than the ground they were standing on. All the trees were dead, the branches curling into themselves. Everything looked so... so _depressing_. It was the only way she could describe what she was seeing. It chilled her to her core.

"Where are we? Where did you take us?" It was like nothing she had ever seen. Clearly, though, they were no longer in Argus. Her thoughts immediately turned to escape, but to do that, she would need to get through this woman. She needed to figure out just what in the world was going on.

"This is the Grimm Plane. The power of the Grimm is strong here... As is mine." She started walking towards Ruby, causing her to get Crescent Rose at the ready. It was clear a fight was about to happen. The woman stopped, moving her hand in a flowy, circular pattern. Suddenly, fiery rock-like projectiles appeared in the air around her. With a flick of her wrist, all of them were heading straight for Ruby, She immediately started to spin Crescent Rose in front of her, the weapon moving fast enough that it became a protective shield. All of the projectiles were blocked, but when she pulled down her scythe, the woman was running full speed towards her, a scimitar in her hand.

Yelping, she raised her scythe back up to deflect her attack, and then the two of them fell into a flurry of swordplay. The woman was relentless, a second scimitar materializing out of thin air as she whaled upon Ruby's scythe with them. While she wasn't taking any hits, she wasn't getting anywhere. They were locked in a stalemate, but apparently this woman gained power from this location. It wouldn't be long before she would lose any semblance of balance left between them. She needed to find some way to turn the tides, and like she always did in a pinch, she used her semblance.

"I was wondering when you would use that." The woman was left thrusting her swords into the air as Ruby broke free, moving like a bolt of lightning through the air. The only thing remaining that revealed she had been there at all were the rose petals scattered amongst the scarred earth. She had zoomed out behind the woman, turning on her heel and counter-attacking, her scythe ready to strike. However, when the woman turned around, she didn't bother to dodge. Instead she reached up with her gloved hand and grabbed Crescent Rose by the blade. Ruby could only stare in shock as the two of them were connected for a moment, as if this woman felt nothing. Then she ripped it out of Ruby's hands and tossed it aside.

"Pity. It seems you actually thought you stood a chance against me." Her cruel smile returned, and Ruby felt frozen beneath it. She couldn't run, though she wouldn't even know where to run to. "The maiden powers will be much better in my hands." Maiden powers? Before she could wonder what in the world those were, the woman was upon her, placing her gloved hand on her face. "Now, give me what's rightfully mine." Suddenly, she fell to her knees as a blinding, white-hot pain surged across her face.

"AAHHH! AAAAAAHHHH!" She screamed violently, thrashing around in the woman's grasp. The pain had drilled down into her body, torching each nerve ending she had. Every thought in her mind had been dispelled, leaving nothing but pure agony. Well, there was one other thought: she was going to die. This woman was going to kill her, all for some maiden power that sounded like complete nonsense. She... She hadn't even gotten to try and save Weiss...

Her ears were filled with a loud roaring, which she figured was a sign of her immediate passing. Instead, she felt herself floating, the immediate stinging removed from her face. It felt like she was moving in slow motion, everything above her white and fuzzy as she hit the ground. The sounds were all muffled now, as if a loud explosion had gone off next to her ears. She rolled herself onto her side, more by instinct than under her own power. Despite how fuzzy everything was, there was no mistaking what she saw in the Grimm Plane. It was a dragon, as white as everything else in her vision, and yet... so much more beautiful... _'Weiss...'_

Whatever happened next was all a blur to her. She could hear roaring and the clashing of battle, and it made her wonder where her weapon was. Then everything changed. It was still fuzzy, but she could tell they had returned to Argus. There was a strange gray smoke fluttering into her vision, and then she was assaulted with sound. There was screaming, so much screaming. It sounded like confusion and panic. There was the flap of wings, and then she saw something yellow appear in front of her.

"Ruby!" It sounded so familiar, yet so muddied... Wait, Yang? Was it Yang? She was being lifted off the ground, and all the pain that she had temporarily lost came rushing back. Was she screaming? Probably, but she couldn't tell for sure. All she knew was the agony threatening to take her down. Then there was another voice: yet another she didn't recognize. "Follow me!" Who was it? Where were they going? She didn't know, and her strength had completely abandoned her. Her consciousness faded, a thankful escape from the pain.

* * *

She woke up in an unfamiliar room. The bed was super soft, which drained her desire to leave it. She was tucked in gently, which made everything feel even more cozy. Why did she even have to get up again? Wait, the woman! She bolted up into a sitting position, then groaned as pain rippled across her forehead. Her hands immediately went up to cover her face, massaging at her forehead to try and push the pain away. It did not work. Then a pair of hands were on her shoulders, gently pushing her back down. Slowly her hands fell from her face, and she was looking up into the extremely concerned face of her sister.

"Thank goodness you're awake!" It seemed like Yang really wanted to jump into bed and hug her tightly, but she resisted the impulse because of Ruby's current condition. "You've been out all day. We've been waiting for you to wake up for hours." We? Who was we? As much as her body resisted, she turned her head to the left, trying to find whoever else was standing over her. To her surprise, Weiss was there with a look of great relief. Now she didn't have to worry about the head pain, because her heart was likely the thing that was going to end her now.

"Weiss," she whispered, smiling softly. She couldn't remember much after Weiss had burst into the Grimm Plane in her draconic form, but she had known it must've happened. It wasn't just a delusion brought on by the intense pain she was in. She had been thinking about the next time she would see Weiss, but she hadn't expect it to be this soon, and in such circumstances.

"And Yang, your sister, who carried you all the way here." Yang rolled her eyes, though she was only pretending to be annoyed. She knew that Ruby had it bad for Weiss since the moment she laid eyes on her. Honestly, she thought Weiss was super pretty as well, but she'd never stand in the way of her little sister's potential dating prospects.

"Hey, I carried her weapon," Weiss shot back, her hands on her hips. "That thing must weigh thirty pounds! How do you even carry such a behemoth on your back?" Yang covered her mouth, but it was clear she was smirking at the tone Weiss had taken. That was when she realized what she had said, and the implications behind it. Her cheeks went red as she stammered out, trying to backtrack. "I-I mean, this isn't a competition. Who cares about who carried what, as long as Ruby's safe?"

"That's quite the turn, since you were so adamant about how you carried her weapon all the way here," Yang teased, making Weiss turn a deeper shade of red. Then the door opened, and all three of them shut up and turned towards it. Two people stepped inside. One was an older-looking man with white hair, whom none of them seemed to know but could already tell he had mountains of wisdom within him. The other was a young woman who appeared to be even taller than the already Amazonian Yang. Facing the three of them, it seemed like she had some kind of shield on her back, but they didn't need to see that to know who she was. While none of them knew who the older man was, they _all_ knew who the woman was.

"Pyrrha Nikos?!" All three of them shouted in unison, staring wide-eyed at her. Ruby shot back up, ignoring the pain to get as good of a look as she could. There was no way _the_ Pyrrha Nikos was standing there in the same room as they were. She was incredible! An athlete with multiple endorsements while _also_ being the best young huntress in probably the entirety of Remnant, she was a humongous celebrity. In a way, she was like Ruby and Yang: they too killed Grimm, but that was only when they found them on their adventures. Pyrrha sought them out to try and protect the world from their evil presence. She was amazing!

"Yes, that's me..." She seemed awkward at their stunned reactions, rubbing the back of her neck and tapping her foot on the floorboards. The older man, however, wasn't going to wait for everyone to adjust to what was happening. Time was of the essence.

"Ladies, I apologize for the interruption, but what happened out there shows me that we cannot wait any longer." He tapped his cane on the ground, his eyes moving from one girl to the next. "Obviously the three of you are already aware of who Miss Nikos is. As for myself, I am Professor Ozpin. I am the headmaster of a combat training school in Vale. The reason I am here tonight is for the exact same reason the woman who attacked you was: to see you." Now he was focused on Ruby, who was now completely lost.

"Me? You want to see me? Why?" What in the world was with this day? First a woman nearly killed her over something that was 'hers', and now the headmaster of a combat school wanted to speak with her as well. When had she gotten so fatally popular?

"Because what that woman wanted from you is something that can never fall into her hands. Are you aware of the story of the Four Maidens?"

"Yeah, that's that fairytale, isn't it? Our mom used to read it to us. What does that have to do with this, though?" Yang made a good point. She had nearly been _killed_. What could a fairytale have to do with that? Unless that woman thought she had stolen the rights to her payments for that fairytale... What was this insanity?!

"Well, what if I told you that fairytale was real?" Well, that silenced the room. It was quiet enough that they could've heard a pin drop. Some woman attacked Ruby in a strange world of Grimm, and now fairytales were real? They were all too shocked to say anything in response, so Professor Ozpin cleared his throat. "If I may have a few more moments of your time, I shall explain what's going on." With that, he launched into a tale that defied belief. Everything he said seemed way too fantastical to exist, like he was just making it up on the spot to confuse them into some sort of trance.

"So your actual name is Ozma, and you've been on Remnant for thousands of years?" Weiss shook her head. "Pardon my hesitance, Professor, but that's impossible. There has never been a person in recorded history who has lived anywhere near that long."

"But he said that he _has_ died. He just switches from mind to mind," Ruby responded, frowning. Trying to think too deeply on this was making her head hurt, but how could she not? What Ozpin - Ozma? What were they even supposed to call him? - was saying was honestly incredible. Magic was real, and there were maidens who held this great power within them, but the powers always chose four worthy girls whenever the previous maidens had passed. On that note... "How... can _I_ be a maiden? I don't remember getting any special powers. Wouldn't I have noticed that?"

"Not necessarily. A maiden's power can lay dormant for many years. It is helpful in keeping you safe. The fact that Cinder was able to find you despite that..." Ozpin rubbed his chin in thought, looking troubled. "... That is troubling indeed."

"How did she even try to take these powers, though? Why would she do that? Where even were we? What the heck's a Grimm Plane?" She didn't mean to bombard him with so many questions, but her brain was desperate to get them out before it exploded. There was only so much room for them with all the pain resting in there from the attack that she was questioning.

"He said her name was Cinder, right? And that she's an agent for Salem." Weiss's response made them all fall silent. The entire tale had been fantastical enough, but hearing about Salem and what she had done, what she could do, chilled them all to the bone. Even with their skepticism over the story's truth, they couldn't believe that one woman had created all those Grimm that had been trying to kill people for... well, as long as recorded history, really. Maybe that was what the Grimm Plane was... Ruby really _had_ been close to dying, hadn't she?

"No offense, Professor, but your ex-wife is kinda being a bitch." Ah, Yang had such a way with words. "So Cinder's working for Salem, stealing these maiden powers so she can help her gather those relics you mentioned so she can destroy the world? Okay, so the Brothers were dickbags, yeah, but I like being alive. Why would Cinder even help her? Does she have a death wish or something?"

"I suspect she hasn't been told that is Salem's plan. We were both very good at not telling each other the entire truth." He laughed solemnly, but then quickly returned to a more serious stance. "While I don't love to come to you with this news, Miss Rose, we can no longer allow you to roam around without some kind of protection. Salem knowing you're the Summer Maiden will put you in constant danger, and I cannot risk any more of your power being stolen. The power within you is the one thing protecting the relics from Salem." He took an uneasy breath, locking eyes with Ruby. "I imagine this must be quite a shock for all of you, and I can understand any concerns you might have about what I'm asking of you. Especially you, Miss Rose."

"Yeah, no kidding it's a shock. This is crazy!" Yang was pacing around the room now, running her hands through her voluminous hair. That was a bad sign: Yang would only muss up her hair if she was getting upset. "How could one person create all those Grimm? And now she's trying to kill Ruby?! What are we even supposed to do about that?! You told us Salem couldn't even be killed! How the hell are we supposed to stop her, then?!" Yang's entire aura was giving off waves of anger, and red was bleeding into her eyes. This was bad, but Ruby could barely move beyond a sitting position. She looked over at Weiss, desperately pleading with her eyes. Weiss seemed to understand, if not exactly _what_ she wanted, and she stood proper as she spoke in an authoritative voice.

"Yang, stop." It wasn't just the authoritative voice that got Yang to stop, but the audacity of someone to even try to do so. Only Ruby had managed to properly subdue her, and that was by jumping on her back and acting like some sort of superpowered koala. This was from a girl she barely knew: a girl she was sure that she could bench press. Still, she stopped, and she listened, though her body continued to shake with helpless anger. "We're all confused here, and angry, but we cannot respond like this. Whatever this is, it involves Ruby. Don't you think she should be the one to decide her next course of action?" Woah, had Weiss just stood up for her? Even though she was in pain, Ruby wanted to throw her hands up and squeal happily. Then she realized all of the attention was on her, and she was much less excited.

"Well... Honestly, it does suck. I don't even know how to activate these maiden powers, if I even have them. Someone _did_ attack me, though, regardless of if this all is true or not. They took me to the Grimm Plane, and I think we can all agree that was real." Yang and Weiss looked at each other, then slowly nodded. "I don't want to die, but... if I have these powers, then I should be using them to help people. Salem isn't going to stop until she has gathered all the relics, and then we'll all be dead anyway. She can't be killed, but Ozpin didn't say she couldn't be stopped. There has to be something I can do."

"That is most excellent to hear!" For the first time since they all shouted her name, Pyrrha spoke up. This time, she seemed elated, heading to the side of Ruby's bed. "I would be honored to protect and train one of the maidens. It is my destiny, after all." It was? Was she like Ozpin too, and kept dying and being reincarnated to protect the maidens whenever they showed up? That seemed really lonely, though Ruby couldn't help but feel a surge of relief knowing that Pyrrha would be protecting her. Cinder wouldn't stand a chance against a powerful huntress like her.

"Well, you're not going to protect her without me." Yang stepped up next to Pyrrha, flexing her muscles. "Ruby's my little sister, and I'm not going to let her be hunted down by some wack-jobs, no matter _how_ powerful or real they may be." Ruby smiled brightly, feeling so much sisterly love in that moment. She wouldn't have blamed Yang for noping out of there, as even after she had pledged to help, she still wasn't sure if she believed it all. The fact that Yang was still sticking by her side made her feel even more confident about the tremendous task that lied ahead. It would be like one of their adventures! Just a lot more dangerous and serious, with a lot more lives at risk.

"And you, Miss Schnee?" Ozpin's voice knocked her out of her hopeful stupor. They all turned to Weiss, who was looking at the wall. "It is not a sign of weakness to say no."

"I'm not saying no!" she argued, though her expression was still rather downtrodden. "I just... I can't. My father would never allow me to leave Atlas when I'm not a dragon." It temporarily surprised Ruby to hear Weiss say the truth out loud, before she remembered that all of them had obviously seen her there when she attacked Cinder. Her suddenly being there as a human would have been quite the coincidence. "Even then, there would only be so much I could do. I'm sorry." She was apologizing to all of them, but her eyes were on Ruby. Seeing her so defeated twisted her heart. It wasn't fair...

"Of course, Miss Schnee. I am aware of the... attitudes of some citizens of Atlas." It sounded like Ozpin had dealt with some Atlesians, and it must've been as bad as what Weiss was going through. "Will you be alright getting back home?"

"Of course. No one here would dare stop a dragon." There was a flicker of a smile on her face, but it disappeared as she made her way out of the room. She gave the others one last look, her eyes lingering on Ruby. Then she disappeared, and the room seemed a lot colder with her departure. All of the hope that had been kindled in Ruby's heart felt like it had been immediately snuffed out. She would have to keep going, though. For Weiss. Yeah, that's what she needed to do. This was for Weiss! And the rest of the world: them too.


	4. Pharaoh's Servant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blake is on the run, and it just so happens that she runs into a couple strange but friendly faces.

No matter where she ran, she could feel his shadow pursuing her. Every time she looked over her shoulder, she was alone, but she _knew_. If she stopped and caught her breath for a single moment, his spies would be upon her. It made her paranoid, fearful: every person around her could be a spy, there to take her back into his waiting arms. She was smart enough to be aware of how unhealthy such thinking was, considering that she had barely slept in two months and her paranoia had her hallucinating more than she cared to admit. Still, she had to keep to herself, and she had to keep running. That was the only way she could eventually be safe.

She ended up in Argus, hoping that being in the area of the Atlesian military would keep him and her former comrades at bay. Of course, that didn't make her feel much safer, not only because of him, but because being anywhere near Atlesians made her feel ill. Humanity had treated the Faunus poorly, but people from Atlas were the worst of the bunch. The treatment that came from those people high in the clouds was exactly why the White Fang was formed in the first place. She shook her head, trying not to think too much about them. It wasn't good for her constantly-frayed nerves.

In a store window, she peered at her reflection to make sure her bow was still fastened on properly. With everything that was going on, the last thing she needed was for anyone to find out she was a Faunus. Hatred of her kind was at its highest point since The Great War, taking the usual prejudices and mixing them with the terrible attacks the White Fang had been carrying out. Her reflection shifted in her vision, changing into an angry, feral monster: the monster that had helped carry out those attacks, and taken innocent lives. She forced herself away from the window, though the cold sweat she had broken out into remained.

Lest she try and forget what she was dealing with, her skittish eyes caught a glimpse of something she didn't want to see. Across the street were two fellow Faunus, but she could tell they weren't regular citizens of Argus. Neither of them wore the mask of the White Fang, but they were decked out in all black and were absolutely looking her way. With her bow on, they shouldn't have been able to tell that she was hiding her identity, unless they had been told to look for her. Maybe it was the paranoia talking, but seeing them both begin to cross the street at the same time, heading in her direction, seemed much more deliberate. It was time to go.

She broke out into a run, heading straight down the nearest alley. The sun was mostly swallowed up, giving her a dark and unwelcome area to be in. That was fine with her, though: she had always worked best in the dark. Up ahead, the alleyway broke off in two directions: right or left. She decided to take the right, not bothering to look behind her to see if they were actually chasing her. If they were, then she'd be wasting time she could be using to escape.

Naturally, she was running straight towards a dead end, but that hadn't deterred her before. She was already pulling out her weapon as she headed for the wall. unsheathing it and giving it a good winding. As soon as she reached the wall, she started running up it, her feet slapping against the brick as she pushed herself as far as physically possible. When she could feel gravity preparing to bring her down, she hurled Gambol Shroud up towards the roof of the building. Thankfully, it wasn't a large building, so she was able to slam the hilt against the roof's edge. The whiplash rattled her, but she was already climbing up the wall, forcing herself through the discomfort.

When she got onto the roof, she looked back down into the alleyway. The two Faunus were indeed following her, their weapons drawn. Eyes wide, she ran across the roof, peering down over the otherside. There were a few people walking down the street, but she didn't have much of a choice. She hooked Gambol Shroud onto the edge of the roof, then held on tightly and jumped. Again she felt the whiplash, but as usual her trusty weapon held. As feared, several people stopped and gawked at her, which she couldn't really blame. She just had to pop her weapon off of the roof and land down on the street, doing her best to ignore the stares as she resumed running.

Unfortunately, she only had a rudimentary knowledge of Argus, so unless she found somewhere to hide quickly, she would be caught by her pursuers. As it so happened, the several shops she was able to catch a glimpse of all appeared to be closed. That left her with very few options if she wanted to try disappearing without a trace. The only potential help was walking towards her: two girls who, naturally, were staring at her running full speed towards them. The blonde one put a hand on the raven-haired one's chest, stopping them both in place. She took up a defensive stand, staring directly at her. They must've thought she was going to attack them.

"Help me!" she gasped out, trying to appear as non-threatening as a sprinting woman with a weapon in her hands could be. She came to a halt, having to waste a few precious seconds to put her hands up. "Please!" Their eyes went from suspicious to a mixture of confusion and concern, which gave her just enough time to run around them and hide behind the blonde. She was big enough that she could actually hide behind her without looking too suspicious. With their backs together, she holstered her weapon and started praying that she wasn't about to be given away.

"Hey, have you two seen a girl with a black bow walking around? She's our friend, but I think she may have gotten lost." She held her breath, her hand shaking as it hovered over her weapon. If she had to draw it out as soon as she put it up, she would. Were the girls she was hiding behind going to rat her out? They probably would. They didn't even know who she was.

"Hmm... Yeah, I think I saw her go that way, over to the park." The blonde pointed to the right, getting a nod of thanks from the two Faunus before they started running in that direction. Once they were committed to that direction, she whispered over her shoulder, "We should get going. Keep running and we'll follow until they can't see you anymore." She couldn't believe that two random humans were helping her out, even if they didn't know she wasn't one of them. However, she wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth, so she just started running again. The two girls, true to their word, followed behind her.

"Why were those two following you?" They only stopped when they had gotten a good distance away, the three of them panting and leaning against the wall of another alleyway. It was the shorter girl who asked the question, and she needed to figure out how much to tell them without revealing the entire truth.

"They were friends of my ex. He, uh, hasn't gotten over the break-up." In a way, she wasn't lying. At worst, one could say she was lying by omission, but it wasn't _that_ bad. Besides, they were complete strangers, and didn't deserve to get mixed up in her terrible affairs. "Thanks for helping me out there. I know I must've seemed a bit crazy."

"Nah, I get it. Your ex sounds like a real nutjob." The blonde laughed, then thought about what she'd said for a second. "Err, sorry if you were planning on getting back with him."

"I hope not." That would be the disaster to end all disasters. "Well, I guess I'd better get going. Thanks again for the help." Where exactly _was_ she going? She paused, realizing that there wasn't a place in Argus that was safe anymore. Once the two White Fang members realized she wasn't there, they'd continue to hunt her until they caught her. She needed to get out, but she knew better than to head straight for the docks. It was best to lie low for a couple days, since they'd likely anticipate her doing that. "Uhm, hey, I don't have a place to stay right now, with the whole ex thing. Do you know somewhere I could stay for a couple days?"

The two girls looked at each other, then nodded in unison. "We might be able to convince our host to let you stay. It's not our place, but we're staying there for a couple days ourselves. Then we could take you to the docks to make sure that bum of an ex doesn't try anything funny." The blonde punched her fist into her palm, grinning. "I can be very persuasive."

"Really? Thank you. I don't want to impose..." She didn't _want_ to impose, but she didn't have much of a choice, unless she wanted to stay outside and risk getting caught again.

"It's okay. Pyrrha's really nice, so I'm sure she'll let you stay with us." Pyrrha? Did she mean Pyrrha _Nikos?_ Today was just going to be strange, wasn't it? Regardless, she followed the two girls, always keeping an eye out for the White Fang members' potential return. For the girls, with the threats no longer in sight, they seemed to be fine with bringing up normal conversation. As little prepared as she was to deal with that, she reluctantly swapped names with them. That wouldn't come back to bite her, right?

"Alrighty Blake, we're here!" Yang dramatically knocked on the door, getting an eyeroll from Blake. The door was opened, and a young blonde man was about to allow them inside when he stopped, noticing that Blake was there. That... didn't look like Pyrrha. He looked more like one of Yang's relatives. "Oh, this is Blake. Her shitty ex is being a bitch and chasing her around the city. Any chance she could shack up with us for a couple days? We'll get her out of here after that, promise."

"Well, I'll have to ask Pyrrha, but I'm sure it should be fine. You can at least stay here until she gets back." He smiled at Blake, offering his hand. "I'm Jaune, Pyrrha's husband."

"Blake. I didn't know that Pyrrha was married." She knew of the world-famous athlete and huntress, but she didn't actually know anything about her personal life. It was just surprising that she would marry so young, and to someone who didn't seem like he was particularly famous. She had always thought famous people married other famous people. Apparently she had been wrong, unless Jaune _was_ some super famous... something.

"Yeah, I get that a lot," he laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, come in. Pyrrha told me you were staying for a couple days. The guest room is set up for you two. We, uh, didn't expect a third." He laughed again, just as awkward as before. "I'm sure we can figure something out."

"Don't worry about me. I'll make due." She was used to camping, so 'roughing' it in a house wasn't going to be a problem. Sleeping on the floor was better than what was waiting for her out there. "Is it okay if I use your shower?" When was the last time she'd been able to take a proper shower? It hadn't been _that_ long, but she was sure she didn't smell like daisies.

"Yeah, it's upstairs, second door on your right." She nodded in thanks, about to head upstairs before she was stopped by Yang.

"Woah, wait. Don't you have a change of clothes?"

"Uh, no?" She didn't have time or space to carry around a ton of clothes. When she got the time to wash herself, she'd usually wash her clothes as well and dry them as best she could. It wasn't that comfortable, but being on the run wasn't exactly high living.

"Blake, that's filthy. At least take my spare clothing. You can wear it until you get your own clothes washed." Blake wanted to argue, but Yang was already fishing in her bag for a change of clothes. "Here ya go!" A full change of clothes was shoved into her hands, which she looked at with a quirked eyebrow. This girl was very... friendly, huh? She put the clothing under her arm, pulling out the black bra and panties that had been mixed in with the pile.

"I'd prefer not wearing your underwear, thanks. I'll just wear nothing." She handed it back to Yang, who had a big, dumb grin on her face.

"Nice." Rolling her eyes, Blake chose to ignore that and head upstairs to the bathroom. Second door on her right... She opened up the door, revealing a nice-looking bathroom with a standing shower. Thank goodness. She was so sick of seedy motel showers that doubled as bathtubs. Making sure to lock the door, she turned on the water and stripped out of her clothes. She made sure to keep her own dirty clothes separate from Yang's clean ones, then removed her ribbon and stepped into the shower.

A certain degree of calm washed over her as she stood beneath the shower head, running her fingers through her hair and working out any of the tangles that had formed since the last time she'd gotten to bathe. Having warm water flowing over her body was what she needed: it was nothing more than a reprieve from what was happening in her life, but she appreciated it all the same. Of course, there was the thing that she _least_ liked about being naked. Closing her eyes, she dragged her fingers down her stomach, wincing at the feeling of scarred skin.

 _'You're hurting me!' 'No,_ you _hurt_ me _.'_ She pressed her forehead against the front shower wall, her breathing becoming shallower. No, she wasn't supposed to be thinking of that right now. It was going to make things tougher on her. _'I do these things because I love you, Blake. You know that, right?'_ No, no... He didn't. That was a lie. It was a lie. She didn't realize she had started crying until her cheeks were feeling a different wetness mixed in with the shower water. She wiped her tears away and forced herself to get back under the water.

She spent time in the bathroom just to have some 'me' time without the threat of immint death or worse, capture. Sitting on the floor with a towel wrapped around her body, she hugged her knees to her chest and sighed deeply. How long could she keep running for? The rest of her life? What was even the point? When she grew tired, he would only grow stronger. He would never stop pursuing her. Maybe she just needed to give up and go back to him. If she stroked his ego enough, maybe she could escape with minimal damage to her body and psyche. She didn't want to go back, though. She was never going to go back.

Eventually she picked herself off the floor, hanging the towel up to dry before putting on the tank top and shorts Yang had let her borrow. They were a bit loose on her, since Yang was a bit... mmm... _bigger_ in certain areas. At least she didn't have to keep wearing her dirty clothes. She was grateful for that. "Well, time to go spend time with humans, I guess." Sighing, she opened the door and made her way downstairs. She was going to keep running: she just needed a new place to run to.

* * *

He was sitting in his office, staring at the wall through his mask. Plans were scattered across his desk, which he scratched at with a red marker. There were many things he needed to work on, but there was one thing he was focused on more than the others. All of the plans that had been drawn up to bring fear to the humans were going well, to the point where Faunus rights were actually improving. There were _some_ people aghast and furious at what the White Fang had done, but those people would be taken care of in time. They would be made examples of. Just like the example he would have to make of Blake.

He picked up a photo of Blake, his eyes narrowed as he stared at it. His poor, misguided girlfriend. She had been so loyal to their cause, but somehow she had lost her nerve and escaped under his nose. It was a mistake he would never make again. As much as it pained him to do so, all deserters had to be punished, and Blake could not escape that just because of her relationship with him. He would take her back, though. She was his one weakness, and he would walk to the ends of Remnant to bring her back.

There was a knock on his door. "Enter!" The door opened, and Ilia stepped in, dropping down to one knee and bowing her head. "Rise, Sister Ilia. Do you have information on our runaway?"

"Yes, Brother Adam. Brother Brennan has reported in from Argus, saying they have spotted her in the city. They attempted to pursue, but she escaped over the buildings. They remain vigilant for her, though." So she was in Argus, huh? That was clever, believing that he wouldn't send any members of the White Fang so close to an Atlesian military port. She was wrong, though: the White Fang had nothing to fear from those elitist scum, and soon they and everyone would know exactly why.

"Send a corrospondance back. Tell them to check the ship logs at the docks." She knew they were following her, so she wouldn't be there for long. Blake had always been a runner, but he had never taken her for a coward. It was disappointing, but all could be forgiven once she had served her just punishment.

"Brother Adam, may I go after her? I want to be the one to bring her back" Ilia stood up, and he could see the passion burning in her eyes, even through her mask. "She betrayed us, and I cannot forgive that. I want to bring her back and make her face justice for what she did." Seeing her passion made him smile, happy to see it in his fellow White Fang members. It reminded him of Blake, back when they first met. She was so passionate for their cause, willing to do whatever it took to bring justice to their people. Perhaps it would take someone with just as much passion to reign her in.

"Your passion speaks to me, Sister Ilia. Once you get the correspondance from Brother Brennan, you will lead the pursuit of her. I expect great things from you." Ilia smiled, then it went away quickly as she nodded and bowed once more before exiting the room. Once the door closed, he pressed his fingers together, peering over them with a grin on his face. Ilia would be the perfect member to bring Blake home. It wouldn't be long now until she was where she belonged: right in his strong, protective, righteous arms.

"I'll be waiting for you, Blake."


	5. Labyrinth of Nightmare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruby starts her training, and it isn't going super well.

Training was not quite as easy as Ruby expected it to be. It wasn't like she was cocky about her abilities, but she had more than held her own against the Grimm when she and Yang were traversing the kingdoms. She wasn't afraid of them. Those Grimm were definitely not Pyrrha, however. Unlike those black masses of monstrosity, with no thought other than the urge to feast on despair, Pyrrha was a fully trained huntress with a brain and incredible reflexes. She had the upper arm strength to hold Crescent Rose with ease, but that meant nothing when it came to Milo and Akouo, Pyrrha's sword and shield.

"Oof!" A well-timed kick sent her off-balance, and she ended up flat on her butt, Crescent Rose skidding away from her. She fell onto her back, staring up at the ceiling and groaning. The two of them had been practicing for over an hour in the training facility housed within Sanctum Academy, which Professor Ozpin had been able to clear out for them to use. However, she had done poorly, to say the least. She hadn't even been able to get a hit on Pyrrha, while her own aura was being busted on the regular. A seed of doubt was trying to plant itself inside her brain, which she was desperately trying to fight off. "Ughhh, I can't seem to hit you at all!"

"Most people can't," Professor Ozpin chuckled, coming over to the two as Pyrrha offered her hand to Ruby. She took it and let herself be lifted up with a groan. Her body was starting to become sore from all the abuse she was taking. "Miss Nikos's semblance is polarity. She can control objects via magnetism." He went over and lifted up Crescent Rose, handing it over to Ruby. "Just like your weapon here." Ruby stared at the scythe in her hand, then at Pyrrha. That explained so much. No wonder she was so amazing. Anything metal that came near her stood no chance of hitting. She had been doomed from the start. "What about _your_ semblance, Miss Rose?"

"Huh?" She looked at Ozpin, tilting her head.

"Pyrrha uses her semblance to great effect on the field of battle. What about your semblance? You haven't used it once in your training." It was like a light had been switched on in her head. Of course, her semblance! She hadn't even thought to use it, believing the two of them to be sparring normally. Since semblances were in play... She grinned, gripping Crescent Rose tightly as she took her battle stance again. "Well, looks like Miss Rose is ready for another round." Ozpin stepped back, allowing the two ladies to prepare to spar once more.

"Woo, let's go Ruby!" Yang cheered from the sidelines, clapping her hands excitedly. Getting to watch her little sister train with _the_ Pyrrha Nikos was incredible. She was basically living vicariously through her. "This is so cool, right?" She turned to Blake, who had agreed to tag along just so she didn't have to be alone in Pyrrha's house. Wearing Yang's clothes made her seem out of place, but everybody decided to say nothing about it.

"Well, it _is_ interesting to watch Pyrrha fight. She's just as amazing as everyone said she was." For once, the news hadn't inflated the truth: Pyrrha was no doubt the best young huntress in any kingdom on Remnant. The fact that Ruby couldn't even touch her wasn't an indictment of the girl as much as a tour du force from Pyrrha. "Ruby's not so bad herself. I can't believe she made that weapon all on her own."

"Yeah, she's really amazing, huh? She's got hella biceps lugging that thing around. Not as good as mine, but not everyone can." She flexed her arms, getting an eyeroll from Blake. So this was what Ruby meant when she said her sister could be annoying. Turning away from Yang, who let out an 'aww' of disappointed, she saw Ruby and Pyrrha resume sparring. At first, it appeared to be going the same as all the other times had been, but then Ruby disappeared. One second she was in front of Pyrrha, deflecting her sword, and then she was behind her, swinging her scythe down.

"What in the world?!"

"Hyaaah!" Ruby screamed as she brought her scythe down, but Pyrrha's shield whipped around her back, blocking the attack. Then she rolled and stabbed out at Ruby, which _she_ barely dodged, her footwork messy from her landing. However, she was able to use her semblance again, a dusting of red petals where she had previously been standing. It left Pyrrha swinging at air, which is when Ruby attacked again. This time, she actually, finally got a hit in, ramming her scythe into Pyrrha's side.

"Good job, Ruby," Pyrrha praised, jumping back to avoid an up-slash. "Your semblance must be quite useful for you in battle." Ruby was panting, multiple uses of her semblance taking something out of her after over an hour of combat practice. However, she couldn't keep from smiling, elated to hear praise coming from someone as amazing as Pyrrha. She had done it! She had gotten a hit on Pyrrha! It was just one hit, but she was going to take her victories where she could get them. Not many people could say they had any luck against her. "Let us rest for now. It is important to rest your muscles before you strain them."

"I can still go," Ruby argued as she used Crescent Rose for balance. "I want to be able to get a hit on you three times in a row!" The chances of that happening were not likely, even with her semblance, and especially in the state she was in. Yang had to come over and lead her over to the benches against the wall, sitting her down and waiting for her to agree. "Okay fine, but _just_ a five minute break, alright?" Chuckling, Yang nodded, knowing that she'd be able to coax Ruby into a longer break. It was for her own good.

Combat training, as difficult as it was, was nothing compared to maiden training. She understood it from a conceptual standpoint. Ozpin had already explained the origin of the maiden powers, and he told her about what she could expect to be able to do with them. It all sounded super cool, honestly! Unfortunately, drawing powers from within that she didn't know existed was difficult to say the least. She would do what Ozpin instructed, calming her mind and centering her soul. Or at least she was trying to do that. Trying to make her mind stand still was like trying to catch the wind. She kept trying and trying, but nothing would happen. Ozpin told her that was to be expected, but she still ended up frustrated after a day of no progress.

Worse than that were the nightmares. According to Yang, she'd had nightmares as a child, but she couldn't remember any of them. If they were anything like what she was experiencing now, she felt sorry for her younger self. She would find herself in the family house, but whenever she would open the door to her room, she'd find herself back in the hallway. Running down the hall and opening the next door just left more doors for her to open. She would get lost in the maze her house had become, and she would call out for Yang or her dad, hoping that they would hear her and help.

Neither of them would appear, though. Instead, she would run into her mom. She would always be standing in the center of the kitchen with a warm smile on her face. That smile would stay frozen even as her body began to become incased in a horrid black goo. She would scream, begging the inorganic muck to release her mom, but it never would. Her mind would race, trying to reach for Crescent Rose, but it was never on her person. She was frozen as well anyway, unable to move her arms to help. All she could do was scream and scream until she woke up in a cold sweat, her pajamas sticking to her skin.

She ended up getting out of bed and quietly heading downstairs, slipping into the backyard for a breath of fresh air. However, it turned out she wasn't alone. "Blake?" She had already begun to turn around as Ruby called her, as if she had been aware her nighttime solitude was at an end. "What are you doing out here?"

"Just getting some air." Wow, what a coincidence. "I suppose you are as well?" She nodded, coming out to stand a bit closer to Blake. "There's just... a lot on my mind right now, and being outside helps me feel a bit more at ease."

"Yeah, I'm starting to feel that too." She took in a deep breath, the briskness of the late night chill feeling good on her sweat-drenched skin. "It's like, everything made sense before Yang and I came here, you know? Now there are so many new things and I can't figure out which to focus on first. It's all super important, but it's... hard to manage." She didn't like to admit that she was feeling lost. She was supposed to be the cheery, optomistic one, but that wasn't always easy to maintain. Sometimes she just needed help, but she didn't know how to ask for it.

"Those _are_ difficult feelings," Blake agreed, rubbing her hands together for a bit of warmth. Yang's clothes weren't exactly made for cold weather. "Sometimes I feel lost too. If only we could know what our decisions meant before we made them." Ruby frowned slightly, having a feeling that Blake was dealing with something serious. Maybe it was about her ex, since she _had_ been running away from them. The guy seemed like a big jerk, at least in her opinion. Seeing Blake standing there looking off into the sky, seemingly lost in that moment, made her feel a strange surge of confidence. She was always at her best when she was helping others.

"It'll be okay, Blake. We can get through this! Whatever this is, anyway." She put a hand on Blake's shoulder, making her jump slightly. "Whoops, uh, sorry," she laughed awkwardly, taking a couple steps back. "I, uh, didn't mean to freak you out." Ugh, she was being weird again. She never knew what was too much or what was too little when it came to human interaction. That must've been too much.

"It's fine. You didn't do anything wrong." Blake rubbed her shoulder, her expression difficult to read under the moonlight. "I, uh, just have a thing about people touching me. It wasn't anything about you specifically, I promise." There was definitely something more to that. Ruby could just feel it in the tone of Blake's voice. She could _also_ tell that it was something personal, and that it was best to not ask. At least she hadn't been the one to cause everything to become awkward. It was definitely a first. "I think I'll go inside now. Are you going to come in?"

"Nah, I think I'll stay a little longer." Nodding, Blake returned to the house, leaving Ruby alone with her thoughts. There was a bench swing near the fence, which she hadn't noticed when she initially came outside. She went over to it and sat down, letting the motion gently rock the bench. Pressing her bare feet into the grass, she pushed off, letting herself swing up and down as she let her mind drift. Salem wanted to bring the end of the world, and she had the maiden powers to stop it. She couldn't even access those powers, though, and if she couldn't beat Pyrrha in a sparring match, what good would she be against a woman who couldn't die?

"I'm out of my depth," she whispered, her words unanswered. "How am I supposed to do this?" She didn't want Ozpin or Pyrrha, who had put all their faith in her, to realize that her resolve was faltering. This was something she had agreed to, even after knowing the seemingly insurmountable challenges that laid ahead. Going back on her word wasn't something she did. That didn't mean she wasn't concerned, or that she wasn't doubting herself. She was just a weird girl from Patch. Having this power and being some sort of savior was too much for her to believe, even now. It was too much for her to handle, really. She was going to fail, and she would let everyone down.

"No, stop that! Buck up, Ruby Rose!" She slapped her cheeks, whimpering at the sting. It wasn't time to give up. She could do anything she put her mind to. If that meant dealing with nightmares in order to access her powers, than she would go through that. It was up to her to save the world: her! That was exciting, and she needed to take it seriously. So no giving up, and no letting herself get down in the dumps. She was going to put on a determined smile and she wasn't going to quit until the world was saved. Salem better watch out for her!

* * *

Ruby was concentrating as hard as she could. She and Yang were about to take Blake to the docks so she could head off to some mysterious location. With about an hour until they needed to be there, she decided to go to Sanctum's practice room and try to activate the maiden powers within her. While she still wasn't sure _how_ to get to what she was looking for, she knew that she needed to try. Yang and Blake were in the bleachers, and she did her best to ignore their presence and focus on her inner soul. Where were these powers? How was she supposed to activate them? Slow, deep breaths... She felt for a tingling sensation deep within her core, having this feeling that if she accessed it, it would lead to something happening.

"Holy shit!" She heard Yang yelling, which forced her eyes open. Her palms were held out, and there was a ball of bright yellow light hovering in each one. She screamed, her body reacting to the strange occurence, which made them disappear. "What was that?!" Yang had run over to her, and both of them were staring at her palms. She could feel a tingling sensation of warmth, both brushing across her palms and deep within her being. What _was_ that, exactly?

"I... I think it was my powers," she whispered, unable to look away from her hands. Creating balls of light seemed rather tame, lame even. However, she felt like there was more to it. There was more she could do as a maiden: she just had to unlock it. She began to smile, her face soon beaming as much as the light in her hands had. "It was my powers, Yang! I was able to access them! I mean, it was kinda lame, but I did it!" She pumped her fists excitedly, then fistbumped Yang.

"Yeah, that's what I'm talking about! That's my sister!" Yang's shock quickly turned into celebration, giving her sister a bear hug and lifting her off the ground. "You must have a shit-ton of powers locked up in that tiny body of yours! I bet you'll be shooting laser beams out of your eyes before long!"

"Come on, Yang, that's ridiculous," Blake chimed in, coming up to the celebrating sisters. "Nobody can shoot lasers out of their eyes. Are you two ready to go? We don't want to miss the boat." Ruby and Yang disengaged from each other, nodding as they all filed out of Sanctum Academy. If it was just the two of them, they could've ridden Yang's motorcycle to the docks. It wasn't going to fit all three of them, though, so they were forced to walk. Neither Ruby nor Yang minded, though. It allowed them to chat with each other and spend some quality time together. Blake was much more visibly nervous, but they did their best to make her feel more at ease.

"Well, good look on your travels." Yang offered up a high five to Blake, who looked at her hand curiously. "Maybe we'll see each other again someday. We'll buy you a new wardrobe, okay?" That made Blake laugh, finally loosening up enough to high five Yang. "And hey, we didn't see your crazy ex here, so it looks like things went okay!"

"R-Ruby?" As she said that, a scratchy voice came from behind them, calling Ruby's name. Immediately Ruby and Yang were on high alert, considering what Ozpin had said about Salem wanting to take the maiden powers from Ruby. However, when they saw who it was, all three of their jaws dropped. Stumbling towards them, pale-faced with torn clothes, was Weiss.

"Weiss!" Ruby shouted in alarm, getting the attention of a few people as she ran towards Weiss. It was at that moment where Weiss nearly fell to her knees, though Ruby put on a burst of speed to catch her. Her own face paled at the sight of Weiss. Up close, she could see cuts and scrapes, as well as dried blood on her arm and neck. "Are you okay?! What happened?!" Weiss's lips started to move, as if trying to explain what had happened, but all she let out was a low groan as she fell unconscious in Ruby's arms. "Oh no, Weiss! Weiss!"

"Well," Yang muttered, hurrying over to shield Ruby and Weiss from the commotion that was starting to gather. "I guess I spoke too soon."


End file.
